Path Towards Enlightenment (824)

Welcome to our weekly programme "Path towards Enlightenment" in which we present you a fluent and easy-to-understand explanation of the ayahs of the holy Qur’an. We start from where we left you last Friday and here are ayahs 5 to 7 of Surah Saad:

“Has he reduced the gods to one god? This is indeed an odd thing!”

“Their elite go about [urging others]: ‘Go and stand by your gods! This is indeed the desirable thing [to do].”

“We did not hear of this in the latter-day creed. This is nothing but a fabrication.”

Last week we said the pagan Arabs of Mecca refused to accept the monotheist message of Islam and ridiculed Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).

The ayahs which we recited to you today mean to say when the Prophet negated the false objects of worship and openly revealed his theistic invitation, the disbelievers wondered how 360 deities they worship have been reduced to One God. These empty-minded persons used to think the more their objects of worship, the more power and influence they would have; and that was why Allah, the One and Only Creator of the universe, seemed a little thing to them.

The next ayah indicates that when the pagan Arab leaders become hopeless and were unable to defend their polytheistic beliefs in the face of the rationality of monotheism, they told their followers to stand firmly beside their idols, and oppose the message of Islam, accusing the Prophet of destroying the Arab society.

They said that their ancestors were idol-worshippers and what the Prophet was preaching was something new and without precedent. This means their warped minds failed to understand the dynamic message of monotheism.

From these ayahs we learn that:

The most important duty of the prophets is to negate polytheism and all aspects of deviation from monotheism or the belief in the One and Only Creator of the universe.

It is wrong to follow the beliefs of the predecessors without ascertaining their truth.

The leaders of disbelievers create doubts in the minds of the people through misleading propaganda in order to preserve their vested interests.

Now we listen to or read ayah 8 of Surah Saad:

“Has the reminder been sent down to him out of [all of] us?’ Rather they are in doubt concerning My reminder. Rather they have not yet tasted My punishment.”

The doubt of the pagans Arabs in the mission of the Prophet of Islam originates from the doubt in the principle of the possibility of revelation, since these disbelievers do not accept the religion itself.

When the pagans of Mecca saw that their own vested interests were in danger, the fire of enmity and jealousy blazed in their hearts, so in order to deceive people, they resorted to various excuses, such as how God has chosen him from the midst of all people! Why God did not entrust His message to the white-bearded elders or the wealthy Arabs, and chose the poor orphaned son of Abdullah?

This absurd thinking was not allocated only to that time. Even in our age, when an important responsibility is given to someone, the mood of jealousy appears, the eyes become astonished, the ears become sharp to hear, and some grumbles, murmurs and seeking pretexts begin, and some persons say that was not there a proper man among people that this job was given to so and so who is from an unknown and poor family?

It is clear from the wordings of the ayah that God Almighty chooses the most deserving and the most sincere and pious for His mission. Towards its end, the ayah warns the disbelievers of divine wrath for denying the truth.

From this ayah we learn that:

The roots of denying the truth and not accepting it are jealousy and self-deception.

Doubts are natural, but they have to be removed through investigation and clarification of truth, but realities could not be rejected on the basis of doubt.

Now we listen to or read ayahs 9 to 11 of Surah Saad:

“Do they possess the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord, the All-Mighty, the All-Munificent?”

“Do they own the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them? [If so,] let them ascend [to the higher spheres] by the means [of ascension].”

“[They are but] a routed host out there, from among the factions.”

These ayahs addressing the deniers of revelation means to say, has God given them the authority to determine who ought to be the Prophet!

How selfish and misled are some people who think they know everything and have power over everything, to the point they decide what God should do or not, or for that matter which is right and which is wrong!

In continuation the ayah addresses the Prophet and Muslims saying: Do not suffer from the false words of these idolaters, because they are a small group that stand against righteousness and eventually bound to fail.

From these ayahs we learn that:

It is part of divine mercy to guide people through the prophets.

The system of law and order for human beings is only determined by God the Creator of the universe.

The parties and groups that stand before the truths are ultimately bound to fail, although they seem to have power and wealth.